Track cyclist Olivija Baleišytė received her invitation to the Tokyo Olympic Games only days before the event and considers her experience in Japan the greatest lesson before her second time at the games. Baleišytė, 25, thinks she will display her true capabilities in Paris: “I feel more mature – both mentally and physically. In these games, I am truly going to fight for a high rank.
” The Panevežys-born athlete remembers connecting with the sport through her hometown bicycle track: “I remember my first time at the bicycle track when I was still very young, maybe 12 years old. I saw how tall and steep it was, looking at how the other athletes rode. I said that it wasn’t possible to ride it, how do you not fall down? That was interesting for me.
For a young child, it seemed like an impossible thing and I was so impressed that I wanted to ride like that – fast and high. That’s how that journey started.” This journey has led Baleišytė to her second Olympic Games.
The wait is calmer than her debut in Tokyo. Three years ago, Baleišytė only learned she was going to the games a few days before her event, taking tenth place all-round. The cyclist said that she couldn’t think of a better experience.
“I think that every athlete’s first Olympics are memorable and notable, but in my case, it was priceless. In my story alone, I knew until the very last minute that I had to be there. When my coach called me that there was a spot for me, we didn’t kn.